house saints

St Thomas MoreSt Thomas More was a very close friend of the English king Henry VIII. They shared a great love of learning and the king trusted St Thomas More completely: he helped the king to rule the country. In 1533, however, Henri VIII decided that he should be in charge of the church in England and not the Pope. St Thomas More disagreed with the king and their friendship was over. In 1535, St Thomas More was executed because he refused to accept Henri VIII as the head of the English church.

St Edmund CampionSt Edmund Campion was born in London in 1540 and was extremely clever, attending university at the very young age of 15. After leaving England, St Edmund Campion became a Catholic priest in 1578. Although he knew that it was dangerous to be Catholic in England at that time, he was determined to return home and support English Catholics. He came back in 1580 and was caught and arrested in Oxford. The government offered to spare him if he gave up his Catholic faith, but he refused. St Edmund Campion was executed in 1581.

St John WallSt John Wall was born in Lancashire, England in 1620. When he was young, he went to France to train as a Catholic priest and was ordained there in 1645. He returned to England in 1656 and had to practice in secret, as it was still very difficult to be a Catholic in England at that time. He was arrested in 1678 and put in prison, simply for being a Catholic priest. The government offered to spare him his life if he would give up being a priest. St John Wall refused and so he was executed in 1679.

St Margaret ClitheroeSt Margaret Clitheroe was born in York in the north of England in 1555. She was an ordinary woman, who married a butcher and had two children. She was a Catholic at a time when it was very difficult to be a Catholic in England. She was caught helping Catholic priests to hide from the government and was arrested. She refused to speak, as to do so could have resulted in her children being hurt and forced to tell the government all that they knew. She was executed on 25th march 1586. She died protecting her children and being true to her faith.